Aunty, I’m afraid to go to my friend’s Roman Catholic funeral
24 February 2025 |
Dear Aunt Sevvy,
I want to go to a funeral service for a dear Roman Catholic friend. But I’m afraid to, because a Catholic funeral service involves so many idolistic rituals. What should I do, Aunt Sevvy?
Signed, Frightened
Dear Frightened,
Roman Catholic services feel strange to us Adventists. We don’t know the songs. The calls and responses seem weird, along with the standing and sitting and gestures. We don’t appreciate the statues or the fancy apparel of the clergy. Aunty understands that.
But the funeral isn’t about you. It is about the person who has passed and their family. You are there to remember their life, and to give spiritual comfort to the family—who, if they are also Roman Catholic, do find the service meaningful.
You will not be hurt in any way by being there. Roman Catholics are Christians. As strange as their services seem to you, they have spiritual meanings which you can appreciate if you get past the initial discomfort. You can wholeheartedly join in with the Lord’s Prayer. You can listen and reflect as people remember their loved one. You can think about the shortness of your own life—always a good lesson from funerals. You will comfort the family just by being there. (By the way, you needn’t take part in anything you don’t understand. Nor do you have to go forward to receive the Lord’s Supper if that is a feature of the funeral, as it occasionally is.)
Instead of thinking about yourself, think about your dear deceased friend and his or her family.
Aunt Sevvy
Aunt Sevvy has collected her answers into a book! You can get it from Amazon by clicking here.
You can write to Aunt Sevvy at DearAuntSevvy@gmail.com. Your real identity will never be revealed.
